1. Romantic. Decorate you table with some beautiful flowers and this framed table number!  Print off your lace invitations and add some ribbon to give it that soft, romantic touch!

2. Natural. Wrap glass jars with jute twine and yarn for some cute vases! Looking for a great gift for your guests–fill silver pails with moss and succulents, add a little ribbon and twine!

3. Playful. Create some colorful pinwheels–just layer different colors of paper pinwheels and add a button! Want a colorful way to brighten up your day? Use glass jars filled with candy and a chalkboard sign for table numbers!

4. Modern. Use BRIDES® chalkboard tags for each guest’s place setting attaching it with a bold ribbon. You can also you BRIDES® chalkboard sign for the table numbers—it’s sure to catch everyone’s attention! For favors try these Glass Snap Top Jars— fill them with your favorite sweet treat!

5. Classic. Looking for a classy invitation to get the word out about your special day? Look no further! Michaels has some great options. Like this Black and White Invitation with a scroll pocket or print your invitation on white pearl border paper, add some strips of paper and ribbon and you got a fancy invitation on your hands!

Want to save 20% off on your next entire regular price wedding purchase at Michaels, click here to receive the discount coupon!  Valid: 4/29/2012 – 6/30/2012”

Vendors:

Vendors:
MUSIC: The Sweetspires
PHOTOGRAPHY: Sara Kristen Photography 
CINEMATOGRAPHY:  FocalPoint Cinematic Weddings
FLOWERS:  Humphreys Flowers  

Sources top to bottom:  Ruffled, Unknown, unknown, Wedding Chicks, Green Wedding Shoes, Style Me Pretty,  Sugar Plum Invitations,  Southern Weddings

Vendors:
Styling + Design: Engaged & Inspired
Venue: Holman Ranch
Catering: Paradise Catering
Photographer: Tatum Brooke

Vendors:
Wedding Dress: Ilse Roux
Hair & Make-up: Gerda Venter
Jacques Suite: Woolworths
Flowers: To-Netts
Wedding Rings, Rose Gold Studds& Cufflinks: Free Range Jewels
Hair Accesories & Bracelet: Lillyblue
Stationary: Pink Pigeon
DJ: Capricon Music
Cake & Sweetie Table: Choc & Cherry
Hangers, Table names & Letters: The Desert Rose Project

Photos and Moss. We really like the idea of using family photos as a table runner—it’s entertaining to your guest and is a great way to tie in your roots. Speaking of “roots” we are huge fans of moss table runners–it’s so playful and outdoorsy!

Wood and Typewriter. The wood plank is so simple and cheap, but adds a lot to your table. We are simply giddy over the idea of using a typewriter with paper dispensing from it as a table runner.

Book Pages and Pinwheels. Here are two of our favorite things–book pages and pinwheels. Aileen used pinwheels in her weddi

Hole Punches and Tissue Paper. Hole punches are a super easy way to add color and a spark of fun to your table. While tissue paper flowers can be more difficult, but definitely worth the extra effort!

Weddings are beautiful but potentially expensive affairs. One popular way that brides save money is by making their own bouquets. Each of the bride’s and bridesmaid’s bouquets can cost anywhere from $50 to $200 per bouquet. To avoid the expense of a quality bouquet or the disappointment of skimping on quality for price, many brides choose to make their own bouquets.

source: http://www.abiaweddings.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Purple-Wedding-Bouquet.jpg

DIY bridal bouquets not only save money but they save time. Brides can have fresh flowers delivered directly to their home without having to take time out of their day to visit a florist. This delivery of flowers in its entirety is available fresher and cheaper than pre-made bouquets ordered directly from a florist.

How to Choose Flowers for a Wedding Bouquet

Choose your flower color freely. The traditional choice for most weddings is white. But brides should not feel constrained by formality. Recent trends embrace wedding flowers of all colors. Red roses, calla lilies or even poinsettias are popular for evening and winter weddings. For spring and fall weddings, bouquets of many colors make any bridal procession pop.

source: http://www.kellysweddingflowers.com/gallery/d/1054-2/KellysFlowers_Mini+Calla+Lily+Bridal+Bouquet.jpg

Many brides choose to make their wedding bouquets out of their favorite flower, birth flower or a flower that has special significance to the couple. Other brides choose to have fresh flowers delivered for their bouquet because they can choose the flowers that match their bridesmaids dresses or their wedding colors.

Contrasting colors are another popular choice. For example, pink flowers look beautiful with pink bridesmaids dresses. But blue flowers — on the opposite end of the color spectrum — attract more attention. Whether brides choose sentimental, contrasting or matching colors, purchasing a delivery of flowers allows custom bouquet in any single or variety of shades.

Brides may also play around with the color combination of the ribbon and the flowers. The traditional ribbon color is white. The pop of white against the green stem ties any bouquet into a dress. A ribbon that matches the shade of the bridesmaid’s dress will do the same.

But a bride can choose virtually any color for her ribbons. Green makes a bouquet look as if its stems are natural and not wrapped at all. The bouquet ribbon can also match the flowers themselves. Choose a ribbon that matches the color of the blossoms for uniformity. If there is a variety of color in the bouquet choose a ribbon that matches any of the flowers. Whichever color you match will make the corresponding blossoms pop.

source: http://images.polkadotbride.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/bouquetties.jpg

No matter the blossom or ribbon color, restrict your delivery of flowers to long or medium-stems. To make the bouquet easy to hold you’ll need ample stem length to grip. The longer the stems the more elegant the bouquet. It is easier to trim down long stems from the fresh flowers delivered than to lengthen short stems or secure them to a bouquet. Tell your florist to leave you with as much length as possible. If the flowers you love grow in clusters, purchase the entire stalk or spray. Long flowers look beautiful cascading down from the front end of a flower bouquet.

Always purchase more flowers than you think you will need. Fresh flowers delivered and in hand may inspire new ideas or additional bouquets. First time bouquet makers may make mistakes or change their minds. Extra flowers allow for last minute changes without a last minute delivery of flowers.

source: http://www.i-do.com.au/editorialpics/top10/Flowers/bouquetsGarlandsFlorist1.jpg

How to Make Your Own Wedding Bouquet

Bouquet Supplies:

- Fresh flowers delivered
- Flower tape
- Thick ribbon
- Crystal-headed pin
- Hairspray

First, remove the delivery of flowers from their package. Discard any flowers that are damaged or discolored. Use a clean pair of pruning shears to cut off the leaves on the stems at the base of the leaf stem where it meets the flower stem. Discard all of the trimmings or scatter them on top of your compost pile.

Gather four or five blossoms. Hold the blossoms on their stems just below the blossom head. In general, the largest blossoms look best in the center of the bouquet. Next, gather blossoms two or three at a time to build out the bouquet. Retain a secure but gently grip on the stems just below the blossoms.

Finish the bouquet with an outer ring. Large or small leaves give the bouquet a rustic look. Flowers work beautifully. Make the outer ring slightly lower — about 1/2-inch — than the main bunch. Angle the heads so that they face slightly out instead of straight up. Attach any cascading leaves or flowers to the front of the bouquet as a last step. Keep a firm grip on the bouquet while making the additions.

source: http://cache.stylemepretty.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/DIY-Bouqet-3.jpg

Wrap flower tape around the stems. Start roughly one inch below the flower heads. Spiral the tape around and around the stems until you reach a point roughly 2 to 3 inches above the ends of the stems or wherever the ribbon will end.

Wrap the ribbon around the flowers. Start one-third of the way down the stem. Wrap the ribbon up towards the blossoms. Overlap the spread of the flowers — where the stems begin to bend outward — by 1/2 inch. Then wrap down to the base of the flower tape. Secure the end of the ribbon with a crystal pin inserted into the stems.

Spray the flower heads with hairspray. Fill a vase with enough water to cover the stem ends but not the ribbon just above it. Place the bouquet in the vase until the wedding day.

About the Author

Patricia Hall works part-time for Serenata Flowers an online florist in UK and loves to surround herself with flowers at any given point of time. Even in her free time she loves to involve herself with everything flora and fauna.
‘To me there is nothing more beautiful and global as the language of flowers – it is the easiest to understand all around the world in the same way. That is one reason why I truly admire flowers for what they represent in some ways – unity of all mankind!’